Notes and Essays -- John Brown

A Ukrainian soldier preparing a drone for a strike on a Russian target in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine last month.  Here’s how speedy access to satellite imagery is bolstering Ukraine. By Michael Schwirtz   Photographs by Tyler Hicks Michael Schwirtz and Tyler Hicks spent time with a Ukrainian drone team as it employed new satellite technology to target Russian troops. Aug. 17, 2026  The Russian drone pilots had bedded down for the night. Their white vehicle was parked in the driveway of a small house in occupied southern Ukraine. About 30 miles away, two Ukrainian drone pilots had parked their truck in a tree line at the edge of a field and assembled a medium-size drone loaded with two bombs. Their target? The sleeping Russian drone pilots. The Ukrainian team had a powerful new battlefield tool that night: high-tech satellite imagery providing near real-time information on troop movements and locations. A year ago, it could take days for satellite imagery to get to...

Iryna Terekh, 34, used to design benches. She is now CEO of Ukraine’s largest private defense company, Fire Point. By Matthew Luxmoore Photography by Justyna Mielnikiewicz  The Wall Street Journal Aug. 15, 2026 7:00 pm ET   Quick Summary (provided by WSJ) -- Former furniture designer Iryna Terekh is now the CEO and chief technical officer of Fire Point, Ukraine’s largest private defense company. -- Fire Point employs 7,000 people and generated more than $1 billion in revenues last year. -- Terekh proposed a manufacturing method that reduced the production time of a drone wing from six days to 2.5 hours. KYIV, Ukraine—Two weeks after the war began, the woman who would later revolutionize Ukraine’s drone capabilities was driving through a town near Kyiv when her car came under Russian fire. Iryna Terekh, the young owner of a small furniture company, sped out of the town of Bucha with her ailing mother in the passenger seat. She published a photo of a bullet hole in her car’s re...

Artem Murdid, his mother and his girlfriend are accused of terrorism. They say they did nothing wrong. Artem Murdid during a trip with friends to a beach on the Sea of Azov in the Zaporizhzhia region in 2019. He says he was tortured into confessing to Russian terrorism charges. By Kim Barker , Valerie Hopkins and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn Kim Barker and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Valerie Hopkins from Berlin. Aug. 16, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET Russia says Artem Murdid is a killer who followed orders from Ukrainian intelligence to plant bombs in his Ukrainian city, Melitopol, after Russian troops captured it.   Mr. Murdid says he did nothing wrong. He also says that after he was arrested in March 2023, pro-Russian guards repeatedly beat him, shocked him with electric charges and forced him to watch his mother be subjected to the same. In a letter detailing what he says happened, Mr. Murdid, 32, wrote that the guards also threatened to throw his mother and girlfrien...

Kyiv launches what may be its largest attack wave of war, with fire breaking out at warehouse near Russian capital Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv Sun 16 Aug 2026 07.04 EDT The Guardian Ukraine has launched one of its largest drone attacks since the start of the war, causing a fire at a distribution warehouse near Moscow and killing at least six people overnight, according to Russian authorities. Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 822 drones, while the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that 600 drones were launched towards the capital’s region, of which 201 were destroyed. It was the biggest air raid on the Russian capital in two years, the mayor told the Tass news agency, although the rapid recent expansion of Ukraine’s drone’s capability could mean it was the largest attack wave since the start of the war in 2022. Russian drone missile attacks killed seven people in Ukraine, including two in the central city of Kryvyi Rih , while a Spanish F-18 jet shot down what appeared ...

From The Wall Sreet Journal , Aug 15

From Space highlights Knowledge Engine 🚂 ·  Follow Posted by  DRP   Aug 1 🇺🇦 Massive Crater Left in Kyiv After Overnight Missile Strike A huge crater has been left in Kyiv following one of Russia's largest recent missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital. According to Ukrainian authorities: 🚀 At least 25 missiles were launched at Kyiv. 🎯 The attack reportedly included Iskander ballistic missiles and Zircon hypersonic missiles . 🛸 The city was also targeted by jet-powered attack drones . The strikes caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, leaving deep impact craters and destroying buildings in several districts. Emergency crews continue clearing debris and assisting affected residents. The overnight attack was part of a broader wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine involving missiles and drones. 💬 What role do you think stronger air defense systems play in protecting major cities from large-scale missile attacks? Share your thoughts in the comments...